


Fairies of the Elements

by CrystalGirl259



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, F/F, Fairies, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:33:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27819058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalGirl259/pseuds/CrystalGirl259
Summary: When a new Lightning fairy named Jay is born, he learns that to visit the human realm he needs to have a nature-based element...
Kudos: 11





	1. Born of Laughter

The queen on Ninjago sighed contently as she stood on the balcony of her royal apartment, which commanded one of the best views of the city. This was one of those very rare moments when she was left alone in peace and quiet. She looked down at the bright city and smiled, knowing her subjects were living peaceful and happy lives. A gentle snowfall covered the city as the land waited for Spring. The glowing moonlight peeked through the clouds and glistened on the tiny snowflakes as the queen gazed upon the frosty magnificence of the city.

It was a beautiful sight.

Her eyes then looked up and seemed to rest on the brightest star in the sky. Her tired mind began to wander to stories her father told her of a magical land beyond the northern star. When she was a child she used to wonder how nature got its glow. Who gave it light and color as the seasons come and go, who helps all the world's creatures, great and small, to walk, to swim, and to fly and who crafted such tiny details. When she was a child she was told she might be able to see them if she tried hard enough, for it's all the work of fairies.

She would have to look carefully because they stayed well out of sight.

If that wasn't hard enough, they didn't even live in the realm. They lived in a magical land called 'The Pixie Vale. In the Pixie Vale, it was fall, winter, spring, and summer all year round and all at the same time. Each season occupied a corner of the magical realm of the fairies. It was only on the mainland that one season followed another, each waiting for its turn. At that very moment, the queen was disturbed from her thoughts by the sound of her baby daughter lying in her crib.

The baby laughed with delight at the colorful mobile dangling above her little head.

The queen listened to her daughter's first laugh as she remembered another part of the story. The first time that a baby laughed, a fairy's life took its first flight. The laugh, invisible but filled with magic, soared out of the crib. It flew toward the nursery's open window, where a lonely fluffy dandelion poked through through the soil of a snow-covered window box. The laugh dove through the dandelion and carried one of the soft, white seed wisps into the cold air.

The queen smiled softly as she watched the speck of white disappear into the snowy winter night sky.

A new fairy was on its way to the Pixie Vale, but it still had a long road ahead. The dandelion wisp flew upward as the wind carried it across the rooftops of the city and through the smoke of the chimneys. It blew past skyscrapers, along the rivers, and over bridges. The laugh faintly echoed in the breeze as it carried on its journey, yet it was still so very far away. There were still so many obstacles the laugh had yet to face. So many things could go wrong.

The laugh collided with the bell of a slow-moving ship on the river but no one on board heard the almost inaudible ping.

The baby's laugh continued moving, it's joy helping it travel the long distance. Joy was a fierce, strong, and resilient weapon. The laugh spun woozily as the dandelion wisp swirled, but before long it quickly regained its bearings and continued onward. It touched down briefly on the sea, and a jingle echoed across the waves. Finally, the tiny wisp was taken up by the wind once more and he laugh was carried through the fluffy clouds and blown toward the shining beacon of the bright northern star.

The laugh was moving quickly now, eager to reach its destination.

The baby's laugh crossed the mythical ocean towards a lone, green island with a jingle and a giggle. Faster and faster it flew, skimming the plains, cresting the mountains, and finally emerging over the home of the fairies. The Pixie Vale. The enchanted land shimmered with every color of the rainbow. Wintry woods glistened with snow, while nearby a summery glen was bursting with greenery and vines heavy with fruit. Giggling happily, the laugh sped down toward the center of the Pixie Vale.

There stood a giant, majestic tree, radiating light and magic.

This was the great Pixie Dust Tree. It provided all the fairies in this magical land with their magical dust that allowed them to take flight and use their magic. Life in the Pixie Vale wouldn't be the same without this important tree. Its roots spread everywhere in the Pixie Vale. The soft tinkling sound of the laugh caught the attention of a fairy at work and many other fairies darted from the bushes and flower beds and began to follow the-wisp.

The wisp floated over a waterfall, where a few water fairies were playing.

They all shook the water from their wings and happily flew after the-wisp. The wisp passed under the branches of a pine tree, giggling at the tickle of the pine needles. More fairies peeked out from leaves and knotholes and they, too, followed to join the procession. Soon all the fairies of the Pixie Vale arrived at the Pixie Dust Tree. They settled on the branches of the huge, magical tree like a flock of chattering birds. Their beautiful wings and clothes glowed in the light of the Pixie Dust Well, which surged in the center of the tree.

They were dressed in ceremonial robes as they all eagerly waited for the new wisp to arrive.

High in the air, a wind fairy with jet black hair and a single green streak with dark green wings intercepted the wisp before it could overshoot the mark. He flew over, under, and around the laughing wisp, creating breezes to guide it safely to the Pixie Dust Tree. Finally, the dandelion wisp came to rest on an outcropping of mushrooms that formed a balcony above the well. The jingle soon faded away, and every fairy fell silent and waited with excited smiles.

A dust-keeper fairy approached the-wisp, holding a chalice brimming with pixie dust.

The fairy carefully poured the pixie dust over the wisp and the wisp swayed with a tinkle. Its shining strands shimmered and waved, moved by the magical golden dust. When it settled into its final form, the wisp was not a wisp anymore. It had transformed into a tiny male fairy dressed in a flowing white gown. The new arrival had bright sapphire eyes with a mop of ginger hair that flowed down to his shoulders and little freckles across his cheeks.

He looked around nervously as all the other fairies smiled and greeted the new arrival.

"Hello?" He muttered in a very shy voice and gave a tiny wave. When he waved, his fingertips jingled like tiny bells and sent puffs of pixie dust into the air. He stared at the others in wonder, but soon he was distracted by the arrival of the Ministers of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. These elegant leaders of the seasons took their places on perches above the Pixie Dust Well. They smiled down on the brand new fairy with welcoming faces.

Then they turned to look at a space between the branches where the air was beginning to shine a bright gold.

The new fairy watched in wide-eyed amazement as a misty cloud of golden dust wove its way through the limbs of the Pixie Dust Tree. Then the mist cleared to reveal a radiant and regal fairy with magnificent golden wings. He wore a glittering white robe, a wooden staff, and he had a long white beard. This was none other than the leader of all the fairies, King Wu. The king regarded the new arrival with a warm smile.

"Born of laughter, clothed in cheer, happiness has brought you here." He smiled at the new fairy. "Welcome to the Pixie Vale, I trust you found your way all right?"

"I think so." The new fairy stammered and King Wu chuckled as he flew behind the new fairy.

"Now, let's see about those wings." He smiled and with gentle hands, he unfurled a pair of gossamer wings from the little fairy's back. All the gathering of fairies all watched in awe. The new fairy seemed dazed and uncertain until King Wu took his hand and led him into the air. Tentatively, he flapped his new wings, rising off the ground slowly. He hovered for a moment, then he began to fly with increasing confidence. The other fairies applauded and laughed when he raced in a giddy circle and turned a somersault.

They liked this new arrival and each fairy looking on hoped that the new fairy would turn out to be a member of his or her talent guild.

King Wu waved his hand and several dozen toadstools magically sprouted around the edge of the Pixie Dust Well. They formed a row of pedestals and all the fairies fell silent. Arriving and flying for the first time was all fine and dandy, but watching a new fairy figure out his talent was the most exciting part. One by one, fairies of every sort flew toward the pedestals, clutching small objects that represented their talents. Jay watched in confusion as they placed the items on the pedestals.

A few fairies caught his eyes.

A male plant fairy with emerald green wings, wavy blonde hair, and green eyes gently carried a beautiful flower. A female water fairy with long black hair tied in a ponytail, chocolate brown eyes and ocean blue wings flew forward holding a drop of water as if it were a ball. A male fire fairy with spiky brown hair, amber eyes, and crimson wings did the same with a ball of fire. A male earth fairy with shaggy black hair, jade green eyes, and dark orange wings left a heavy stone on a pedestal.

The wind fairy from earlier swept past the new fairy with his nose in the air.

He didn't give a hoot what the new arrival turned out to be, but he always enjoyed a chance to show off his abilities. He opened his hand to reveal a tiny spinning whirlwind. More and more fairies brought symbols of their talents. The new fairy watched these ceremonial proceedings in confusion and slight unease before he looked up at the king.

"What are these things?"

"They will help you find your talent, little one."

"But how will I know which one is mine?"

"You'll know." The king reassured in a soothing voice and gave the new fairy a gentle push toward the toadstool pedestals. When the new fairy approached the flower, the plant fairies huddled close together in delighted anticipation. Several of them gave the new arrival an encouraging nod. The little fairy reached for the flower, but the moment his finger touched the delicate bloom, its glow faded. The plant fairies let out a collective sigh of disappointment, but the water fairies were glistening with hope as the new fairy approached the next pedestal.

He tried to lift the shimmering droplet of clear water, but the glimmer around it faded as well as it splashed against the pedestal.

The water fairies sighed as well but didn't stop smiling. The new fairy's attention was next drawn to the whirlwind. As soon as he lifted a tentative hand to touch it, the whirlwind faded into thin air and the male wind fairy that place it smirked. He hated competition. The new fairy was getting discouraged and now she was afraid to touch anything as he walked up and down the line of pedestals. He passed things such as a snowflake, an ax, a paintbrush, a large kitchen spoon, and finally, a ball of electricity.

As the new fairy walked by, the ball of electricity began to glow.

Seeing this happening, all the gathered fairies gasped and started whispering among themselves. The ball of electricity shined brighter and brighter until it practically vibrated with energy. It rose into the air and floated toward the little fairy. Instinctively, he reached out and caught it. Bursts of light shot out in every direction as soon as his fingers closed around the ball as it seemed to absorb into his skin and his clear wings became dark blue in color.

The fairies gasped then they began to laugh and applaud.

The new fairy had found his talent, or maybe it had found him. All the gathered fairies began to mix and mingle and talk about what had happened.

"Whoa!" The water fairy gasped to her friends. "Never seen one glow that much before, even for Morro." She smiled and the wind fairy, Morro, who was hovering within earshot, huffed and looked away, pretending that he didn't hear and didn't care. Morro was used to being one of a kind, and he didn't appreciate being upstaged by a little wisp.

"You know, I think you're right, little guy might be a very rare talent." The fire fairy smirked. Morro growled and tossed his dark hair off his shoulder and turned away. The little ginger fairy was still confused, unsure what all this meant as King Wu put a comforting hand on the fairy's shoulder.

"Come forward, Lightning fairies, and welcome the newest member of your talent guild, Jay." The King smiled and disappeared in a flash of golden light...


	2. New Home

As soon as King Wu had disappeared, the new fairy, now named Jay, scanned the crowd of gorgeous elegant fairies, waiting for one of them to step forward and claim him, but no one did. Instead, they moved aside to make room for a group of gawky, unkempt, tool-belt-wearing Lightning fairies. Among them were an elder male and female fairy who approached the new addition to their talent guild. They were very excited and had big smiles on their faces.

The female was a very kind woman with an aged face, greying brown hair that was tied back in a tight bun and bright green eyes.

She wore sharp, light red spectacles, a thick brown coat, and black pants. The male Lightning fairy was well known for his forgetfulness. He often had to ask his fellow Lightning fairies to take notes for him. He had snowy white hair with dark brown eyes. He was wearing a light blue long-sleeved shirt with dirty grey overalls and black boots. They both had the same dark blue colored wings as Jay, as did the rest of the Lightning fairies.

Neither they nor any of the present Lightning fairies looked like the crowd of other, gorgeous elegant fairies.

Jay's heart sank as he stared at the two older fairies in dismay as they approached. The female gave him a polite bow as her male companion stumbled forward.

"Hady-hi, hey-ho, Mr. Jay, I'm Ed." The male, Ed, smiled as the female grabbed Jay's hand and shook it enthusiastically.

"Hi deary, I'm Edna and we're pleased as a pile of perfectly polished pots you're here." She beamed brightly and Jay couldn't help smiling at their cheery greeting.

"Uh… Me, too."

"Come on, Mr. Jay, there's so much to show you," Edna said and they both took Jay's hand and they soared into the air. As soon as they had flown out of the tree, Edna and Ed gestured broadly to the enchanted land below them and Jay's eyes widened at the beautiful sight. It was like the area was split into four pieces and each looked gorgeous.

"You've arrived at a most wondrous and glorious time," Ed said as they flew through the land.

"Really? Why?"

"Why it's almost time for the changing of the seasons," Edna replied. "You see, here in the Pixie Vale, there are different realms for every time of year, in fact, there's one up ahead." She explained as they flew past a group of pine trees white with snow, but they didn't actually cross over in the winter world. A stray blast of cold air made Jay shiver.

"This is the Winter Woods, it's always cold here," Ed said as he and Edna also started shivering.

"Look there!" Edna suddenly exclaimed and she pointed toward a group of fairies dressed in silver and white descending from the sky, looking exhausted. "Those are snowflake and frost fairies who are returning home for some well-deserved rest."

"Yes, they've just finished bringing winter to the world," Ed added as they flew over a forest filled with bright red and orange leaves. A fairy hovered in the air, carefully painting the edges of a golden leaf. It was clear to Jay that this was the Autumn Realm.

"It's the off-season for the autumn fairies, too, they have time practicing that perfect shade of amber." Edna smiled as they approached a lush green meadow, bursting with sunshine, where giggling fairies were chasing a dragonfly. A fragrant mixture of honeysuckle and happiness floated upward, and the three Lightning fairies took a deep breath.

"The fairies of Summer Glade still have plenty of time to get ready." Ed chuckled and gestured at the frolicking fairies happily below them.

"Yes, but not as much as the autumn fairies, of course, because right now, fairies of every talent are preparing for my favorite season, springtime!" She cheered as they turned again. Jay gasped in awe as he looked to a grassy valley where some fairies were spinning rainbows out of thin air. One fairy was herding a little group of flower bulbs, which rotted along like small children. Others were carefully painting the spots onto patient ladybugs.

A few fairies saw them and waved, but Jay could only blink, amazed, and delighted with everything he saw as Ed and Edna beckoned to him to follow.

"Come on, Mr. Jay, you've got to see where we live." Ed smiled as they lead the young fairy to a small valley full of colorful flowers. They had arrived at the home of the Lightning faires.

"Welcome to Lightning's Nook!"

"Oh, wow!" Jay grinned in delight at the thought of this grand, beautiful place was going to be his new home. When Ed saw where Jay was looking, however, he gently tilted the ginger-haired fairy's head down. Jay had been mistaken. Lightning's Nook wasn't in the graceful hills up ahead. It was down in a little dirt-floored valley formed by a tangle of twisting tree roots. It wasn't bright and flowery like the rest of the Pixie Vale. Jay felt a little disappointed as Ed chuckled and Edna smiled proudly at their home.

"Come on, there's so much to show you." She smiled.

Both the older fairies flew down into the strange little nook, and Jay tentatively followed them. When they landed, however, he realized Lightning's Nook had a charm of its own. Unlike all the simple, colorful flower homes he had seen elsewhere in the Pixie Vale, the Lightning fairies' houses were different. They were cleverly constructed of twigs and leaves and each had its own unique shape and design. Lightning's Nook was a busy place, too.

Wagons pulled by adorable field mice carried buckets and bushels between the various buildings.

Everywhere Jay looked, he saw something new and fascinating. There were Lightning fairies running around in all directions. The air was filled with the sound of hammering and sawing, happy greetings, and shouts of encouragement. For the first time since meeting the Lightning fairies, Jay began to feel as if maybe things were going to be okay. He walked behind Ed and Edna, marveling at all the different kinds of work the Lightning fairies did.

One group was constructing a carriage using a flower for a canopy and a gourd for the wagon.

Another was loading baskets made of iris blooms onto a leaf conveyor belt. Ed and Edna wanted to make sure Jay saw everything there was to see. Overheard, Lightning fairies were filling woven-grass baskets with acorns.

"Over here is where most of us live." Edna suddenly said and pointed to a group of little houses. "There's your house." She added. They toward the circular house nestled on top of a root. Jay could hardly believe how cute his new house was. It looked like a little teapot made out of bark–short, squat, and round, with a curly root on the side that curved like a handle. A jaunty green leaf formed the roof, and Jay caught a glimpse of a chimney peeking out the top.

"It's mine?"

"Sure is, kiddo." Ed grinned and he and Edna went inside. Jay followed and once inside, he gasped with delight.

"We were hoping the new arrival would be one of us, so we got the place all ready," Edna explained as Jay looked around his new home. The inside of his little house was wonderful–round and cozy, with wood-grain walls, twig-wicker furniture, and leaf curtains. It was just perfect as if someone had prepared the house especially for him. Jay opened the closet door and saw a row of dark blue, leafy garments, each one larger than the last.

It was then he noticed a little problem.

The decor was wonderful, but the wardrobe selection left Jay lost for words. Ed and Edna seemed to notice his dismay.

"We rounded up some work clothes, but we didn't know your size," Ed said sheepishly and Edna nodded.

"Yes, our apologies, but they might be too big because you're so tiny." She cooed as Jay blushed slightly. The ginger-haired fairy gave them the biggest smile he could to show that he wasn't worried. He would figure something out. There were so many things to be pleased with, he could hardly contain his happiness. The older fairies smiled, clearly relieved that he wasn't upset.

"Please come on down to the workshop when you're ready, the others will want to meet you." Ed smiled as he and Edna said their goodbyes left Jay to enjoy his new home. Now Jay was alone, he could hardly contain his excitement. He couldn't wait to see more of the Pixie Vale. He glanced at the tall mirror and frowned at his appearance. Before he could go out and about, he was going to have to put on something besides a dandelion nightgown.

He took a humongous leaf muumuu out of the closet and pulled it over his head.

It was a perfect size, for a giant. After a moment of thought, Jay grabbed a pair of thorn-shears from a table and began to cut. With the help of a pine needle and some spider-silk thread, he solved his wardrobe problem in no time. As he worked on his clothes mop of ginger hair fell into his eyes and he pushed it away impatiently. Unfortunately, it kept getting in the way. Jay glared at his bangs, knowing he needed to do something about this hair...

* * *

Sometime later, was finally ready to start his work as a Lightning fairy, whatever that job was. He had cut his curly ginger hair so it was much shorter and allowed people a clear view of his light freckles with dark blue eyes. He wore a dark blue, long-sleeved shirt with matching pants made out of leaves with an orange wooly scarf. He didn't really need the scarf, he just thought it looked nice. After he was ready, he left his lovely home to look for Ed and Edna.

Jay soon found the main workshop by following the loud sound of hammering.

The wide, bustling room was scattered with dozens of worktables and carpenters' benches. All the work areas were piled high with woven-grass baskets, acorn buckets, and spider-silk sacks. On the far side of the workshop, Jay spotted Ed and Edna fixing a wagon. He hurried to join them. Using a stone hammer, Ed was trying to pound a wheel onto an axle when Edna suddenly pulled at his sleeve, making him stop, as she leaned in to examine the axle.

"A five-gauge twig for an axle?" She frowned. "Ed dear, I told you it took a seven."

"No, you said five." He argued and Edna was about to say something back, only for them both to go silent when they saw Jay, shocked by his new look. Jay couldn't help laughing at their expressions as he looked around. He knew he looked different, but he hadn't realized just how different.

"Wow, everyone seems so busy."

"Well, spring won't spring itself." Ed chuckled.

"Indeed, and we Lightning fairies are a big part of it," Edna explained. "We fiddle, fix, craft, and create; and our power over electricity allows us to provide power to our inventions."

"Yes, but there are other inventions that don't need electricity," Ed added. "We carve acorn buckets to hold flower paint, weave saddles and satchels for birds, make baskets and bushels to carry the seeds and that's all I can name off the top of my head."

"That sounds like a lot of work." Jay gulped.

"Yes but we help fairies of every talent with our creations." She smiled reassuringly.

"Unfortunately, all those fairies are out of luck this year, unless we can actually deliver these things to them.." A stern voice interrupted and all three turned to see another Lightning fairy flying over to them. She wore an outfit made from the same dark blue leaves Jay and the others were using. Although her's were more decorated. Down the front and back of her shirt had lightning designs with black sleeves and a shining copper belt buckle.

She had fair skin and long blonde hair flowing down to her waist.

Ed and Edna snapped to attention as the fairy flew toward them. She made a soft landing and did some quick calculations on a birdseed abacus.

"The wagon repairs are finished, I trust?" She said and Ed and Edna exchanged a worried look. The repairs were far from finished. They stepped in front of the broken wagon to hide the missing wheel from the lead Lightning fairy.

"Yes, Liberty." Ed quickly lied and Edna nodded in agreement. Liberty looked skeptical and she tried to peek around them, but they kept blocking her view.

"Then let's see it." She glared, feeling her patience growing thin.

"Ah, you see… Well… You have to meet Jay!" Edna suddenly exclaimed, pointing at the confused ginger-haired boy as Liberty's head swiveled around to look at him.

"Who is this?"

"He's new, Liberty."

"Nice to meet you." Jay smiled awkwardly and as soon as Liberty saw him her face lit up.

"At last! A new charge on whom we can lavish all our wisdom and expertise!" She cheered as she flew over to Jay. "Let me see those hands." He ordered and Jay held his hands out for inspection. "Oh dear, so dainty, don't worry we'll build up those muscles in no time." She smiled

"Okay." He chuckled nervously as he took his hands back and she turned back to the wagon, all business again.

"Now, Ed, Edna, the deliveries?"

"We're on it," Edna reassured. "As a matter of fact, we're heading out right this second."

"But we've only got one wheel," Ed whispered, not very quiet.

"What was that?" Liberty asked with a glare as Edna threw Ed a dirty look before stammering for an excuse.

"Nothing really, Ed was just asking... Uhm..."

"If I can go as well!" Jay suddenly said and both older fairies visibly relaxed at his quick thinking. Liberty regarded them all with suspicion, before sighing

"Very well, get on with it, then." She huffed in frustration. Then she bustled off to attend to the next item of business. As soon as she was gone, Ed and Edna jumped into action. Ed picked up the missing wheel and Edna gave a loud whistle and a mouse came galloping over to pull the cart. Jay turned to see if Liberty was watching their departure and if she had noticed the missing wheel. She was, she had and she was quietly laughing...


	3. New Friends

Jay smiled rode next to Edna down a simple trail in the mouse-drawn wagon as they headed to Springtime Square with their many deliveries. Ed was trotted along beside them, holding up the axle where the wheel was missing.

"Slow down, Cheese, I can't keep up!" Ed pleaded, but the mouse simply squeaked and kept moving.

"The mouse's name is Cheese?" Asked Jay.

"I think it must be, he always comes when we yell it." She shrugged. Jay was about to say something else, but he heard a pitter-patter behind the wagon. When he turned to find out what was making the sound, all he could see was swaying grass and a worried look on Ed and Edna's face. A very worried look. The pitter-patter sound started to grow louder. Jay peered through the weeds and flower stalks to see who, or what was out there.

He glanced at Ed again the older fairy seemed even more alarmed.

His eyes were darting back and forth, searching the landscape and peering into the weeds. Jay's heart began to pound, and he tightened his grip on the edge of his seat. He had a bad feeling that something bad was about to happen. Jay, Ed, and Edna suddenly screamed as tall, prickly plants came running toward them at full speed.

"Sprinting thistles!" Ed screamed as the running plants gouged the sides of the wagon, scratching the paint and some even poked at Ed.

The mouse was so scared that he bolted ahead, pulling the wagon on one wobbly wheel. The wagon careened wildly down the path towards Springtime Square with Jay and Edna holding on for dear life. When they were far enough away, the Sprinting thistles ran back into their cover. As they barreled into Springtime Square, Jay caught a quick glimpse of the area. He saw fairies flitting back and forth, carrying berries, seeds, pots, and baskets with piles of supplies that were neatly stacked everywhere.

The wagon suddenly hit a bump in the road and soared into the air.

Jay and Edna yelled, and fairies scattered in every direction, jumping and diving to get out of the way. The wagon landed with a tremendous thump as Jay and Edna were thrown to the ground, and Cheese squeaked in dismay. A male earth fairy that Jay recognized from before ran toward the scene of the crash with some other fairies. The raven-haired fairy grasped Cheese's bridle and stroked his nose gently.

"Easy, boy, it's all right, Cole's got you." The earth fairy, Cole, reassured and the frightened mouse immediately began to calm down. Jay slowly sat up, woozy and disoriented, as a water fairy ran toward him.

"Hey, I'm Nya, let me help up." She smiled as a plant fairy and a fire fairy flew to join them.

"You ok kid?" The fire fairy asked as Jay shakily got to his feet.

"I'm fine, I'm Jay by the way." He smiled shyly.

"Kai and this is Lloyd." The fire fairy, Kai, replied and gestured to the plant fairy, Lloyd, who gave them a wave.

"So, what happened to you, anyway?" Nya asked after Cole had finished calming the mouse down.

"Well, I..." He stammered, but he didn't even know where to begin. Just then, Ed and Edna popped up from beneath a pile of berries.

"It was the sprinting thistles!" Ed cried in answer to Nya's question and they all gasped as Kai angrily put his hands on his hips as his eyes seemed to glow brighter for a moment.

"Those weeds are an absolute menace, always trampling things, and attack people." He growled as Jay felt a rush of pride as he watched Ed and Edna straighten the wagon and organize the pots and gardening supplies in the back. The plant fairies couldn't do what they did without the help of the lightning faires.

"Gather round, kids!" Ed beamed at the group as he and Edna gathered some things from the wagon. "We've brought some selections from the new spring!"

"All right!" Cole grinned.

"Show us, show us!" Lloyd pleaded.

"What'd you bring?" Kai asked and Edna handed the fire fairy several tubes made of bark.

"Your rainbow tubes, Kai." She smiled and Kai snatched the tubes gratefully.

"Finally! Sis, could you help me?" He asked the water fairy. Nya smiled and sprayed a fine mist of water into the air. Kai flew through it, spreading his arms and creating a rainbow with his pixie dust. Then he landed, grabbed an edge of the rainbow, and rolled it into a tube. Jay was astounded when he saw this.

"What're you gonna do with that?"

"I'm gonna take it to the mainland." He chuckled and put the tube in a pile with the others.

"What's the mainland?"

"It's where we're gonna go change winter to spring," Nya replied. "The seasons change all the time there."

"When we get there I'll get to apply my artistic sensibilities," Lloyd said as he accepted a pussy willow paintbrush from Ed, dipped it in a nearby bucket, and began painting a nearby blossom. Cole took a milkweed-pod satchel from Edna's hands and dropped a handful of nuts into it.

"Yeah, but only if I clear the snow for you guys and make the ground just right for your flower seeds, and I'll have breakfast ready for all the animals coming out of hibernation." He smirked. Jay was just about to ask how to get to the mainland when Kai seemed to read his mind as he took the ginger-haired fairy's hand and pulled him into the air. The brunette pointed toward the sky towards a lone, bright star.

"We just follow the northern star, ride the breeze, follow the waves all the way across the sea, and then, there it is." He explained and Jay's eyes widened when they told him this. The whole thing sounded so exciting and so beautiful, it took Jay's breath away. He struggled to find the words.

"Wow! The mainland sounds... fantastic." He exclaimed and his new friends looked at each other and shrugged modestly.

"Yes, the glamorous lives of the nature-talent fairies, eh?" Ed chuckled.

"We would love to stay and chat, but we lightning faires have 'real' work to be getting on with." Edna joked and Jay's new friends laughed. Ed and Edna motioned to Jay to follow them, and the three lightning fairies darted back to the wagon as the others teased them lightly. Jay could tell that this good-natured back-and-forth was as much a part of the routine as the new deliveries were. He took his seat on the wagon next to Edna as Ed picked up the axle.

As they started riding away, Jay turned and waved at his new friends.

"Nice to meet you all!"...

* * *

Jay sighed contently as they neared the end of their delivery round, enjoying the scenery. Even though he loved the Pixie Vale, his mind kept wandering to thoughts about the mainland. He kept trying to ask Ed and Edna more about it, but they were too busy with the deliveries to answer any of his questions. It was irritating him to no end. It was like they didn't know what the mainland was like. The only thing stopping him from saying anything was the fact that all the fairies would be traveling to the mainland in a few days to change winter to spring.

Then he'd get to see it all for himself.

After another hour of riding, Edna pulled Cheese to a stop as the wagon rolled into Flower Meadow and she consulted her leaf-scroll list to see what was left. Jay was relieved when he heard all they had left was to drop off a pretty large order of pollen pots. He wanted to get home and make sure he had everything for the journey to the mainland. Hopefully, he would only need to pack a few things. He was about it ask Ed and Edna what he would need when suddenly, all three lightning fairies flinched as a dark green blur zipped past them with a whoosh of air.

The blur slowed for a moment and Jay saw it was Morro.

The wind fairy twirled around and around, whipping the air into a funnel of wind. The funnel hovered over a flower, sucking up the pollen, then it moved to another flower and repeated the trick. Jay was mesmerized as he watched the pollen-yellow whirlwind gather more and more dust out of the flowers. Neither Ed nor Edna seemed to pay much attention to Morro's work. He guessed they had seen all this stuff before. Jay was fascinated, however, and he wanted to learn more about this fairy and his talent.

He continued to watch Morro as Ed unloaded some pollen pots, and Edna looked at her leaf scroll, figuring out their next stop.

"The last thing is berry bushels to deliver to the glen-"

"Is it okay if I just catch up with you later?" Jay suddenly asked.

"Oh, I suppose."

"Can you find your way back?" Edna asked in concern as Ed put down the last of the pots and took up the axle again. The last thing she wanted was for the new fairy to get lost in the Pixie Vale, especially with those thistles running around.

"Yeah, I'm sure I can." He replied casually, his eyes still glued on Morro.

"Well, I… All right, then." Edna sighed,

"Just be careful!" Ed said as the wagon rumbled off. As soon as they were gone Jay flew over the flowers and followed behind Morro, who was busy guiding the whirlwind toward the pollen pots.

"Hi, there!" He greeted, but his voice startled Morro so much that he lost control of the pollen-filled whirlwind. The stray wind spun away from the two fairies, throwing pollen everywhere and knocking over the carefully stacked pots. Morro turned to glare at the younger ginger-haired fairy, pollen was swirling in the air between them. Jay gulped nervously. This wasn't going at all the way he had hoped, but he smiled sheepishly and tried again.

"Morro, right?" He asked the wind fairy violently sneezed. His black hair momentarily flipped forward then, without a word, he flew away to continue his work, but Jay was determined to make friends. "We didn't officially meet, I'm Jay." He smiled. Morro came to a stop and gave him a long look.

"Oh, yes, the new guy."

"That's right! So, what's your talent?" He asked, only to jump back in surprise when Morro began spinning again until he was nothing but a blur. When he slowed down enough to be visible, he fixed Jay with a cocky glare.

"What do you think it is?" He smugly asked and Jay bit his lips, trying to guess the answer.

"You're a pollenizer? Pollinator?" He asked and Morro's eyes narrowed. "Pollen-picker? Pollen-plucker?"

"I am a wind fairy, a truly rare talent, and this is but a small part of what I do." He smirked. "I make breezes in the summer, blowdown leaves in the fall, my winds even brought you here, dear, fairies of every talent depend on me."

"Hey, that's just like what I do." Jay smiled and Morro snorted at him.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, lightning fairies help other fairies of every talent, too, so we're kind of the same, you know?" He explained and Morro's wings fanned slowly. He draped an arm over Jay's shoulders and leaned closer.

"Kid, I make forces of nature, you make pots and kettles." He replied in a condescending tone. "I work up in the sky, and you work down in a ditch."

"Hey!" Jay cried, insulted by the wind fairy's words.

"Don't get me wrong, being a lightning fairy is really swell and all, but I wouldn't go around bragging about your talent; it's not like spring depends on you." He laughed cruelly, but Jay refused to be put down.

"Of course it does and when I go to the mainland, I'll prove just how important we are!" He snapped, but instead of angering him, Morro looked confused.

"When who goes to the mainland?" He asked and Jay almost rolled his eyes.

"Me, of course! For spring!" He glare and Morro's confused look turned into a smile. It wasn't a very nice smile, however.

"Oh, of course, you'll prove it, huh?"

"Yes, I will," Jay stated and Morro's nasty smile got bigger.

"Well, I, for one, am looking forward to that; excuse me." He laughed before he suddenly flew off so fast, Jay could hardly see him go. Jay just glared at the spot Morro had been before flying away back home...


	4. Lost Things

Dusk soon arrived and Jay growled as he flew over the Pixie Vale and towards the beach, replaying in his mind the exchange with Morro. He hated how the wind fairy bragged about his 'rare talent'. He snorted in disgust at how Morro cruelly talked down to the ginger-haired boy. Trying to tell Jay that lightning fairies didn't matter to anyone. Jay couldn't wait to show that stuck up fairy what a rare talent really was when he went to the mainland.

He was suddenly broken out of his angry thoughts as a glint of light caught his eye.

It was coming through the trees below. Curious, Jay flew down to investigate and followed the glint to a sandy cove near where the ocean's waves lapped gently against the shore. He landed where he thought he had seen the glint and began digging with his hands. Before long, Jay had managed to uncover a slightly rusty, old silver coin. He turned the coin from side to side, watching as it caught and reflected the fading rays of the setting sun.

Despite the bits of rust, it sparkled so beautifully.

He started to wonder if there were more of these strange items and he began to dig again. He was overjoyed when the beach sand yielded treasure after treasure. First, he unearthed a huge brass screw and he spun it on his finger. Then Jay found an old spring, he loved the way he could push and pull it and then watch it snap back into its original shape. The most fascinating thing he found, however, was an eyeglass lens about the size of a fairy's window.

Jay put his hand behind it and watched the lens magnify and distort his fingers.

He laughed out loud and hurried to gather up all his treasures, piling them into a wobbly stack in his arms. Jay smiled happily as he looked over all these strange items he had found. He wasn't just a lightning fairy anymore, now he was a treasure finding fairy. Jay couldn't help but feel proud of himself. Here he was, a brand-new fairy to the Pixie Vale, and already he had discovered these amazing things. Jay wasn't sure just how he'd do it, but he knew that with these treasures, he would surely find a way to prove himself.

Then Morro would see just how important a lightning fairy could be...

* * *

Edna sighed as she focused on her project, trying to ignore how late it was getting. The workshop was mostly empty now, and Jay was still nowhere to be found. She hoped he hadn't gotten lost. She was about to go find him when Jay suddenly flew into the workshop with his armful of treasures.

"Hello dear, what you got there?" She asked.

"I don't know, I just found them." He shrugged as he plopped the treasures down on his worktable and Ed and Edna hurried to examine them.

"Lost things." Ed gasped.

"Lost things?" Jay frowned and she nodded.

"Yep, stuff gets lost and washes up here from time to time from the mainland."

"These things come from the mainland?" He gasped. "That place sounds more fascinating all the time." He smiled as he started to daydream about the mainland again. Before Ed or Edna could answer, Liberty came bustling by with her seed abacus and checklist, busily taking note of the items and supplies.

"Berry bushels, check, pollen pots, check, lost things, check." She muttered to herself as she absently glanced at Jay's worktable, only break off with a frown. "Lost things? Why are you fiddling with that junk?" She demanded and Jay shrank under her disapproving glare.

"Oh, um… Well, they were just so unusual." He gulped.

"You mustn't be wasting your time with that rubbish, and I won't have it cluttering up my workshop." She glared and shot a stern look at Ed and Edna. "As for you two, no more dilly-dallying around, and don't forget about the King's review tonight, there's still so much to be done!" She groaned and started to gather up the Lost Things and flew away with her arms full. Ed noticed Jay's disappointed look.

"Sorry about your trinkets, kiddo."

"Well, we'd best be getting ready for the review, anyway." Edna sighed and Jay lifted his head as they started to fly away.

"What is the King's review?" He asked and Edna rubbed her hands in anticipation.

"You see dear, the King is going to review all the preparations for spring!"

"It's a good time for us lightning fairies to show what we can do," Ed added with a smile, and Jay's spirits brightened considerably.

"Really?" He asked but Ed and Edna had already headed back to their worktables. Jay didn't mind, however. His mind was already racing ahead, making plans. This was his perfect chance and he dove into action. He gathered twigs, sap, walnut shells–even silk from a surprised but good-natured spider. Jay's moment was coming, and he had to be ready...

* * *

It was nearly the middle of the night, but Springtime Square was full of life. Fairies of every talent were feverishly working to make everything ready for the King's Review. All the fairies lined up dozens of buckets of fresh-squeezed flower paint and stacked bushels of seeds and nuts to be counted. A few dozen ladybugs were stood in rows. Some waited patiently for their black dots to be applied while others still needed their first coat of red.

Cole, Lloyd, Kai, and Nya were busy with their own tasks.

Ed and Edna hurried from group to group, lending a hand wherever they were needed. The Minister of Spring floated through the square, overseeing everything. His face was serious, but his clothes were joyous and colorful. He wore a long, blue robe and a garland of leaves held the minister's long hair off his high forehead as he bent over his leaf-scroll checklist.

"Splendid, splendid, stack those neatly, plenty of time before the King arrives to see." The Minister of Spring smiled with pride, only to freeze when he heard a tinkling sound.

"It's the King!" A fairy exclaimed, and the minister's eyes widened.

"What? Hee's here? Now?! Play, music fairies, play!" He cried in panic and a band of music fairies struck up a Celtic tune, signaling the others to line up along the pathway. The fairies hurried to take their places as King Wu came gliding in with the Ministers of Fall, Winter, and Summer behind him. The Minister of Spring bowed with great dignity.

"King Wu, your Illustriousness! As Minister of Spring, I welcome you to Springtime Square!"

"What? No fireworks, Minister?" The king smiled and the Minister of Spring looked panicked.

"Oh, well, yeah, that could be arranged; fire fairies! Fire fairies!" He ordered but the king just giggled.

"I'm teasing, you always make such a fuss, and everything always turns out wonderfully." He reassured and the Minister of Spring relaxed and laughed nervously.

"Well, I think you'll find that we have things well in hand." He chuckled and pointed at a large, closed white flower growing on an ornate platform. "When the Everblossom blooms, we'll be ready to bring spring to the mainland!"

"Music to my ears." King Wu smiled and turned to the crowd. "I know you've all put in months of practice and preparation, but keep up the good work these last few days, because just as fairies-

"King Wu!" A voice suddenly shouted and the king watched in surprise when Jay came hurtling along in his wagon. He pulled Cheese to a screeching halt, jumped out, and shouldered his way through the crowd to the front. The music squawked to a halt, and the crowd turned toward Jay, annoyed and surprised.

"Did I miss anything?" Jay asked with a happy smile on his face.

"No, no, no." The Minister of Spring glared.

"Phew! Good." He sighed in relief as he pretended to wipe his brow in relief. The Minister of Spring stepped forward to send Jay away, but King Wu put a hand on his shoulder. Jay motioned for the fairies in front of the wagon to make room and he lifted the leaf tarp that covered the back.

"What is all this?" King Wu asked.

"I came up with some fantastic things for lightning fairies to use when we go to the mainland!" He beamed and the king's eyebrows rose in surprise as some of the fairies in the crowd whispered while a few others glared.

"Jay-"

"Let me show you!" He suddenly said and held up her first invention. The contraption looked like a nutcracker made of sticks, rocks, and grass twine. "First, baby chipmunks can't eat the whole nut, right? Their little teeth can't chew big bites." He explained and placed a big nut in the contraption and began to crank. "So you just crank back this lever, and it's..." He grunted as he tried to get the contraption to work The rocks pressed on the shell from either side, tighter and tighter.

Instead of cracking, however, the nut shot out of the device and smacked a baby squirrel right in the nose.

The little woodland creature stood stock-still, shocked. Then his big, dark eyes welled up with tears and his furry little chin quivered. There was a terrible silence in Springtime Square until the squirrel let out a wail and ran off. All the fairies watched, horrified, as Jay did his best to smile.

"Whoops." He laughed nervously. "It's kind of a work in progress."

"Yes, yes, yes, very clever." The Minister of Spring replied, unamused. He snapped his fingers and the music resumed, but it was no use. Jay kept right on. He knew he could do this and his next invention was sure to go over better.

"I made this, too, it's a flower-sprayer." He smiled as King Wu held up his hand, trying to stop the young fairy.

"Jay, I-"

"Here, allow me to demonstrate." He insisted as he turned the wooden handle, only for the contraption to suddenly explode, covering the Minister of Spring with berry paint. "Sorry, but wait till you see this last one." He smiled and turned back to the wagon when he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up at the king. King Wu's eyes were understanding and full of sympathy, but his voice was firm.

"Jay, has no one explained?" He asked and Jay bit his lip. His heart pounded and he felt her throat tighten. He had a bad feeling that whatever King Wu was going to say wasn't something he wanted to hear.

"Explained what?"

"Lightning fairies don't go to the mainland." He replied and Jay felt his world shatter.

"W-What?"

"All of those things are done by the nature-talent fairies, your work is here in the Pixie Vale."

"But I thought that-"

"I'm so sorry, Jay." The king said and Jay desperately looked at the assembled fairies, hoping it was a sick joke they were all playing on the new guy. Some would not meet his eyes and others gazed at him sympathetically. It was then he knew it wasn't a joke. Only Morro seemed to be enjoying Jay's heartbreak. His face was twisted in a mean smirk. Jay didn't want to give him any satisfaction, however, and he tried to pull himself together.

"Oh, okay, no, that's good; I mean, I really couldn't make it anyway, so, this actually works out good." He rambled in embarrassment.

Not meeting anyone's gaze, he took the reins and began leading Cheese away, trying not to look at the crowd as it parted for him. The music fairies burst into feverish song, desperate to fill the unhappy silence. Kai and Cole hurried toward the wagon, with Ed and Edna running behind them. Lloyd and Nya flew along, too, but Jay turned away from them. He shook the reins to hurry Cheese, eager to disappear into the dark so that she could cry undisturbed...


End file.
